Kentucky Derby pedigree profile: Risk Taking

Risk Taking

Medaglia d’Oro – Run a Risk, by Distorted Humor

Bred in Kentucky by G. Watts Humphrey Jr. ($240,000 Keeneland September yearling purchase by Mike Ryan, agent)

Breeding Thoroughbreds is generally considered a risky proposition – but the odds of success can be increased by following successful past pedigree patterns. In the case of Risk Taking, the Grade 3 Withers winner who goes in Saturday’s Grade 2 Wood Memorial, he is the latest successful product of crossing two classic sires whose bloodlines have jointly produced several high-quality runners with stamina.

Medaglia d’Oro has generally been a source of stamina throughout his stud career. His top representatives include 2009 Kentucky Oaks and Preakness Stakes winner Rachel Alexandra, a Hall of Fame racemare; 2011 Kentucky Oaks winner Plum Pretty; Breeders’ Cup Turf winner Talismanic; and other Grade 1-winning routers on both dirt and turf.

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Crossing Medaglia d’Oro over fellow classic sire Distorted Humor as a broodmare sire has yielded runners such as multiple Grade 1 winner Elate; New Money Honey, whose four graded stakes wins included the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf and Belmont Oaks; Hong Kong Mile winner and champion Golden Sixty; and additional graded stakes winners Funny Proposition and Mrs McDougal.

Risk Taking is the first winner from three starters out of Run a Risk, who was stakes-placed at a mile on turf. She comes from a family full of stamina – albeit, with its most recent successes coming on turf. The mare is a half-sister to Rey de Cafe and El Crespo, both graded stakes winners at nine furlongs on turf; and to Tricky Causeway, who won the listed Awad going 1 3/8 miles. This is the family of millionaire and multiple graded stakes-winning turf horse King Cugat.

Going farther back, this is the family of champion filly Queen of the Stage; multiple Grade 1 winner Seeking the Gold; an additional Grade 1 winner in Fast Play; and Reviewer, the sire of the great Ruffian.